“I can help you,” I whisper. He chuckles.
“Help me do what exactly?”
“Your security, your firewalls, the fortress you built isn’t as sturdy as you think it is,” I remind him. I did break in here but then again I’m good at what I do.
“And you can do what?”
“I can make it impenetrable.” His eyes linger on mine as his hand tightens. I suck in a small bit of air, a gasp nearly escaping me. God, if only he knew what he was doing to me right now he would stop. His eyes darken in that moment. Maybe he does know. Lorenzo leans in, inhaling deeply before whispering near my ear.
“You will be sorry you stepped foot in my home. You will be even sorrier that you hacked my systems. I don’t need you,” he whispers. My breaths come in small pants. The smell of his cologne, the feel of his body pressing into me. Shit, this is all wrong. I need to get out of here, I need to fight him but I’m not going to. I need him to stay calm. I need to be locked back in a room so that I can find that bastard and stay within these walls.
“Then kill me,” I whisper. Lorenzo pulls back and dark smirk on his face.
“Why would I do that? You look like something I might enjoy.” His eyes move over my body heating me from the inside out. I don’t have but a few days before Tino will come looking for me. What am I going to do now?
“Hugo!” He calls out. The top door opens and Hugo comes strolling down twirling handcuffs around his finger.
“Yes, boss.”
“It looks like our new friend is going to be staying with us for a while. Shackle her and do a thorough search to make sure she doesn’t have any electronics hidden on her.” I smirk knowing that pissed him off before he adds. “Anywhere on or in her body.” My smirk fades quickly as my arms are yanked behind me. Lorenzo’s hand slowly leaves my throat and falls to his side. He can see how this is affecting me, his words. I’ve been raped before. I’ve been beaten. There is nothing he can do to hurt me now. The thought alone has me smiling in his face once more.
“This should be fun.”
Chapter Twelve
Enzo
My morning was hell on earth. I got four hours of sleep before I needed to start my day. Now as I sit at the table with a half-dressed shackled woman in the chair to my left, I have to come up with a plan for her as well. I take another bite of my eggs as I study her. Her heads down, she isn’t looking at me today although I can tell she’s listening intently. Her hair is a tangled mess of dark waves that I find I want to run my fingers through.
“You’re a hacker,” I say taking another bite.
“Amongst other things.”
“Such as?”
“Why do you want to know?” She finally looks up at me and her gaze darkens. This girl, she’s something special in her world, whatever that may be.
“You intrigue me. Let’s just say that I’ve never had anyone get past my security let alone to my door. Add the fact that you killed one of my men and that, as I said, intrigues me as well.”
“I’m nothing special.” The way she says it tells me she believes it but she’s wrong. There is something special about this one. I can’t pinpoint it at the moment but I can feel it.
“You said you were looking for someone. Care to elaborate on that?” I ask. I motion to Linda, my maid to bring the girl a plate of food. She hustles away as I watch her.
“Not really.”
“Let me ask you this. You come to my home, looking for someone. What makes you think that someone is here?” She takes a deep breath and shifts in her seat to look over at me now.
“I don’t know that he’s here. In fact, I have no idea where he is,” she informs me. I try to read her, tell if she’s lying and from this standpoint, she isn’t. Linda walks in and sets the plate in front of her before leaving us alone once more. I shove my chair back and climb to my feet, pulling the key from my pocket as I move toward her.
“There can be mutual respect here. We both need something from the other,” I say as I unhook one of her hands but not the other. I’m not a stupid man.
“What are you talking about?” She asks looking up at me.
“For starters, I’m Lorenzo or Enzo as others like to call me. What’s your name?” She looks to be hesitant before she answers. She’s a smart girl, that much is obvious.
“Tessa.”
“Jesus Christ!” I hear Preacher’s voice as he strolls into the room. He eyes Tessa up and down before looking to me. “Didn’t know you were into that kind of shit,” he says nodding toward her.
“She broke in last night.”
“No shit?” he chuckles as Switch walks into the room. I didn’t know they would all be up this early. I take a deep breath and try to rein in the anger that forms in my chest.
“Why the fuck is she shackled?” He asks nodding toward Tessa.
“It’s kinky,” she responds for me. Switch looks at her, trying to read her as well.
“Takin’ bondage to a whole new level, huh?” He asks crossing his arms over his chest.
“Some people like the pain,” she responds, taking a bite of her eggs. Again, I find myself intrigued by her. It doesn’t seem to bother her that I have her shackled and half naked in my dining room.
“Understandable.” This came from Switch. I turn my head to look at the man and I can see the pain in his eyes. It quickly shifts as he walks out of the room.
“Well, you freaks enjoy your breakfast. Hey Enzo, since I’m stuck in this motherfucker can we at least use the pool?” Preacher asks.
“The indoor pool, yes. Let Hugo know and you won’t be disturbed.” Preacher slaps a hand on my shoulder before he says the words that make my breakfast want to come back up.
“I’ll make sure to come in her not the water.” I close my eyes listening to him walk away.
“You keep great company. I like them,” Tessa says as I open my eyes and look at her.
“Did you really go through all the trouble of breaking into my home just to look for someone?” I don’t know why I feel like I need the answers to this but I do. I need to see it in her eyes. Who could she possibly be looking for? Why? How does she not know their name?
“I know what you’re thinking and the answer is simple. Someone did things to me, to my family in the past. I’ve done my research. I’ve followed leads. The only thing I have to go on is the letter that is burned into my flesh.” Slamming her fork onto the table, I can tell I hit a nerve. A letter? Tessa shoves her chair back with her feet and stands. She can’t move anything but the one hand and when she reaches for the small shirt that I had put on her, she pulls it up slowly. Her flesh is perfect. The kind that you suck into your mouth and savor.
“I don’t see anything.”
“Come you help me.” I stand from my chair and move around the table to her. She nods at her panties while still holding her shirt in place. I reach for the top and slowly run my fingers along the elastic. Tessa lets out a shaky breath as I slowly pull them down. That’s when I see it. I’m shocked. I can’t believe what it is I’m seeing. I kneel down in front of her, running my finger over it as I study the letter. The loops and swirls that surround it are familiar to me.